The report of an independent review (by Mary Portas) examined the decline of high streets, and set out a strategy designed to revitalize economic and community life in high streets and town centres. It recommended a range of planning policy incentives along with free parking in town centres. A linked research report examined the drivers and barriers that had an impact on the economic and social performance of high streets.
Source: Mary Portas, The Portas Review: An independent review into the future of our high streets, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills | Genecon LLP and Partners, Understanding High Street Performance, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Links: Report | Research report | Hansard | DBIS press release | BCC press release | BPF press release | Friends of the Earth press release | FSB press release | Labour Party press release | LGA press release | NEF press release | POS press release | RAC Foundation press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the relative contribution of the knowledge-based and the consumption-based sectors to the economic development of cities, using data from the period 1995-2005. The proportion employed in knowledge-based sectors was significantly higher in cities than in the non-city regions, whereas there were no significant differences in the proportion employed in consumption-based sectors between cities and non-city regions.
Source: Andrew Johnston, 'The economic performance of UK cities, 1995-2005: driven by knowledge-based sectors or consumption-based sectors?', European Planning Studies, Volume 19 Issue 12
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Dec
An article examined the continued focus on 'areas' in urban policy, put forward a spatio-conceptual framework for understanding 'urban problems', and identified some additional theoretical and conceptual issues. It considered whether anything had been learned from previous experience, and what a 'good' urban policy might look like.
Source: Alasdair Rae, 'Learning from the past? A review of approaches to spatial targeting in urban policy', Planning Theory & Practice, Volume 12 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Nov
A think-tank report said that cities held the key to economic growth. It called for new private sector urban areas to be developed in close proximity to existing towns and cities across the country – including on green belt land.
Source: Alex Morton, Cities for Growth: Solutions to our planning problems, Policy Exchange
Links: Report | Policy Exchange press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2011-Nov
A report examined evidence on the need to invest in transport infrastructure to stimulate economic growth in the 'core' cities. It said that the development of high-speed rail links would support the delivery of 400,000 jobs in the core cities, and 1 million in their wider urban areas.
Source: ARUP/Volterra, Understanding the Transport Infrastructure Requirements to Deliver Growth in England's Core Cities, Core Cities Group
Links: Report | Core Cities press release
Date: 2011-Nov
A report highlighted the need for European cities to increase their co-operation with surrounding areas in order to improve public services and economic development.
Source: Cities Cooperating Beyond their Boundaries: Evidence through experience in European cities, Eurocities
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Nov
A new book examined the challenges confronting sustainable urban development.
Source: John Flint and Mike Raco (eds.), The Future of Sustainable Cities: Critical reflections, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Oct
An article examined the relationship between social cohesion and competitiveness in 50 European cities.
Source: Costanzo Ranci, ' Competitiveness and social cohesion in western European cities', Urban Studies, Volume 48 Number 13
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Oct
A report examined the scope and nature of the outputs and longer-term outcomes that arose from town centre regeneration.
Source: Douglas Wheeler Associates Ltd, with Slims Consulting and Ryden Avril Blamey & Associates, Town Centre Regeneration: How Does It Work & What Can Be Achieved?, Scottish Government
Links: Report | Summary | Appendices
Date: 2011-Sep
An article looked at urban regeneration in Belfast (Northern Ireland) as a stage on which the interaction between different structural dynamics (political, economic, and cultural) was manifested. It considered whether regeneration had the potential to transform the dynamic of deep-rooted ethno-national divisions.
Source: Liam O Dowd and Milena Komarova, 'Contesting territorial fixity? A case study of regeneration in Belfast', Urban Studies, Volume 48 Number 10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Aug
An article examined the lessons that the United Kingdom could learn from urban renewal and regeneration projects undertaken in developing countries.
Source: Raphael Heffron and Paul Haynes, 'Improving urban regeneration in the UK: lessons from the developing world', Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal, Volume 5 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Aug
An article examined the literature that argued that political leadership and local government activity enhanced urban performance. The findings placed doubt on the salience of the political determinants of economic performance in English cities.
Source: Stephen Greasley, Peter John, and Harold Wolman, 'Does government performance matter? The effects of local government on urban outcomes in England', Urban Studies, Volume 48 Number 9
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jul
A report said that stronger partnerships and greater collaboration between cities were the keys to addressing the sustainability challenge. Governance arrangements were a 'major barrier' to building sustainable cities.
Source: Sustainable Cities: A vision of our future landscape, Grant Thornton
Links: Summary | Grant Thornton press release
Date: 2011-Jun
A paper examined the potential of information/communications technology and local 'e-governance' in European cities.
Source: Peter Nijkamp and Galit Cohen-Blankshtain, Opportunities and Pitfalls of Local E-Democracy, Research Memorandum 2011-23, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Amsterdam University
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-May
A commission report said that city councils should be allowed to retain a greater share of business rates generated from new commercial projects, giving them incentives for growth and reducing their reliance on the formula grant from central government.
Source: Setting Cities Free: Releasing the potential of cities to drive growth, City Finance Commission
Links: Report | Public Finance report
Date: 2011-May
A new book identified best practice in sustainable urban regeneration in five major cities in Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Source: Andrea Colantonio and Tim Dixon, Urban Regeneration & Social Sustainability: Best practice from European cities, Wiley
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Mar
A new book examined the conditions that might determine whether a city-region was – or could become – attractive for creative and knowledge-intensive companies. It used seven European cities – Amsterdam, Barcelona, Birmingham, Helsinki, Leipzig, Manchester, and Munich – as case studies.
Source: Marco Bontje, Sako Musterd, and Peter Pelzer, Inventive City-Regions: Path dependence and creative knowledge strategies, Ashgate Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Feb
A paper said that there was evidence for some positive associations between ethnic 'super diversity' and urban economic performance.
Source: Max Nathan, The Economics of Super-Diversity: Findings from British cities, 2001-2006, Discussion Paper 68, Spatial Economics Research Centre (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Feb
A paper examined whether growing ethnic diversity was good for urban economies. Average labour market impacts appeared to be neutral: the effects might be positive for United Kingdom-born workers' productivity and wages, or negative in respect of employment opportunities.
Source: Max Nathan, The Long Term Impacts of Migration in British Cities: Diversity, wages, employment and prices, Discussion Paper 67, Spatial Economics Research Centre (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Feb
A report examined the quality of life, and issues of environmental sustainability, in urban areas of Europe.
Source: The European Environment State and Outlook 2010: Urban Environment, European Environment Agency (European Union)
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Feb
A report provided an update to the 2006 'State of the English Cities' report, which provided a comprehensive analysis of city performance. It reviewed how the quantitative and qualitative evidence had developed since the publication of the original report, updated the key indicators relating to city performance, and identified gaps in the evidence base in order to support future policy-making.
Source: Experian, Updating the Evidence Base on English Cities: Final Report, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jan
A new book examined new towns in Europe. More than 30 years after their creation new towns were facing numerous challenges in terms of social cohesion, urban planning, regeneration, sustainable development, and identities.
Source: Pascaline Gaborit, European New Towns: Image, identities, future perspectives, Peter Lang
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-Jan